March 7, 2003	Friday	Muharram 3, 1424

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ALGIERS, March 6: An Algerian plane crashed on Thursday, killing 103 passengers and crew near Tamanrasset, deep in the Sahara desert.

It was the deadliest air accident in the North African country at least since independence from France 41 years ago.

Quoting rescue workers on the scene, the official news agency, APS, said a Boeing 737-200 of the state-owned national airline, Air Algerie, crashed shortly after takeoff from Tamanrasset airport at 1445 GMT.

It had been heading for the capital Algiers, on the Mediterranean coast.

The television said two pilots and four flight attendants were among the dead.—Reuters